Free SF apartment background check

956-958 Ellis St

Van Ness/ Civic Center, SF 94109 0719007 3 units · 2 fl · 1900

This building has a higher-than-average number of open problems nearby. Few open issues; problems get fixed quickly. A reasonable bet for a smooth tenancy.

NOVs (7y) vs. neighborhood
Compared to a typical building in Van Ness/ Civic Center
At or below average
avg 6.7
0
FewerMore

This building has 0 novs (7y), at or below the Van Ness/ Civic Center average of 6.7.

Rent & eviction protection

Is 956-958 Ellis St rent-controlled?

San Francisco's Rent Ordinance caps rent increases and provides eviction protection for most residential units built before 1979 with 2+ units. Here's how this building scores.

Built before 1979
Built 1900
2 or more units
3 units
Property type
Multi-Family Residential
Zoning
RM4
Likely rent-controlled. Building age and unit count suggest this property falls under San Francisco's Rent Ordinance.

Based on SF Assessor records. Not legal advice — confirm with the SF Rent Board.

Building characteristics
Units3
Floors2
Year built1900
Total area5,364 sq ft
Property typeMulti-Family Residential
Tax statusNone
Blocklot0719007
Ownership

Registered owner per SF Assessor-Recorder (secured roll).

Owner name
Brothers Of The Christian S
Mailing address
P.o.box 3720 Napa CA 94558
Last sale
073117

Landlord portfolio

Other SF properties this owner holds, with risk grades for each.

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Multiple entrances & addresses

Included addresses

All street addresses sharing this blocklot that are covered by this report.

958 Ellis St, San Francisco, CA 94109
956 Ellis St, San Francisco, CA 94109
231 Olive St, San Francisco, CA 94109
Augrented Insights
Initial analysis

The property at 956-958 Ellis St is a two-story, three-unit multi-family residential building constructed in 1900, currently owned by Brothers Of The Christian S. The building has experienced recurring fire safety issues, with multiple violations documented between 2014 and 2024, including problems with alarm systems, sprinkler/standpipe systems, and sleeping area requirements, with the most recent violation issued in March 2024. Building maintenance and improvements have been ongoing, with significant work documented in recent years including a 2024 permit filing for adding bedrooms and bathrooms, and completed repairs in 2017 addressing various structural and safety issues.

The building has a history of various maintenance challenges, particularly in the year 2000 when multiple violations were recorded including security issues, inadequate lighting, and plumbing problems, though these were all abated by May 2000. More recent improvements include a 2016 kitchen remodel with related electrical and plumbing work. There have been several fire alarm activations recorded over the years, though none resulted in actual fires or civilian injuries. The property is currently facing some external maintenance challenges as evidenced by recent 311 calls in early 2025 regarding garbage and debris on the property, with multiple open cases related to street cleaning and sidewalk maintenance.

AI-generated · may contain errors · check the source data tables below

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Risk rating

How 956-958 Ellis St's risk score is calculated

We trained a model on 7 years of SF DBI inspection data — notice of violation filings, complaint history, and owner track records. It estimates the probability that DBI inspectors will issue a Notice of Violation at this address in the next 12 months. Lower % = safer.

What the score means for you

Grade A–B — Low risk

DBI rarely finds violations here. Strong maintenance history and a clean complaint record.

Grade C — Moderate risk

Some past violations or complaints on record. Worth asking the landlord about any open issues before signing.

Grade D–F — High risk

Elevated violation and complaint history. DBI has found issues here before and is statistically likely to again.

Neighborhood percentile
78th percentile

Out of 85 buildings in this neighborhood, 19 are predicted to be safer.

RiskiestSafest
Predicted 12-month outcome
78%
No DBI
violation
22%
DBI violation
likely
Model explanation

What's driving this score

The three data points that most influenced this building's risk rating — ranked by the weight the model placed on each one.

Building size

Total floor area — a proxy for building scale and the number of systems (plumbing, electrical, HVAC) that can fail.

Neighborhood (ZIP code)

The ZIP code captures local housing market and enforcement patterns that affect all buildings in the area.

Building age

Older buildings tend to have more maintenance challenges; SF's pre-1906 earthquake housing stock carries distinct risk.

12-Month severity forecast
No violation 49.2%
Moderate concern 23.1%
Severe concern 27.7%
Estimated probability of receiving a DBI Notice of Violation in the next 12 months at each severity level. Model: full_hgb_balanced.
Apartment reviews

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The story over time

956-958 Ellis St event timeline

Violations, complaints, fire incidents, permits, and buyouts — most recent records in order.

2026
311 Request Feb 27
Garbage and debris
needles less than 20
311 RequestFeb 10
311 service request

See all 8 events

Full history back to 2023 — violations, complaints, permits, buyouts, and fire incidents.

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Every record we have

Full data for 956-958 Ellis St apartments

13 SF public datasets for this parcel — permits, violations, complaints, fire records, 311 calls, planning records, and buyouts.

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Cancel anytime · Data sourced from SF Open Data, DBI, SFFD, SF Rent Board & Planning

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